Tuesday, never apologize

 Grandma and Lucy have a talk. She was really paying attention. This too shall pass as she gets older.  I am so in love.

Have you ever thought of yourself as a creator? I believe and I really do believe this... We were all born to be creative. We come from a Father in Heaven who is a creator. I think it is within us and comes out according to our needs and wants. Some are more creative than others but all of us create.

Never apologize for being creative.  For years people (especially church women) would snidely say to me, "Is there anything you can't do?"  This would deeply hurt my feelings.  I had not set out to make them feel small.  I am just a creative person. I was raised to be creative. Singing, dancing, piano and instruments were encouraged. Cooking, baking and the hand arts were all part of my childhood.

We were allowed to make messes.  For years I hid whatever potential I had and now I just don't. If someone is rude, I just smile and I do not downplay or apologize. It is their problem not mine. Life is too short to not make the most of your creativity. 

Now I would say I am a jack of many trades and not a master of any, but I really enjoy being creative.

Also, creativity comes in all forms.  It may not be in the arts.  Maybe you have more compassion than others, maybe you are drawn to help others, or you love fiercely. Those gifts are also forms of creation. Loving animals, gardening, growing food, raising humans.  Heck people who clean are creative. I could use a little help in that area.  So, figure out where your creative lies and nurture it!!!! Don't apologize.

Yesterday was very busy in the shop.  Lots of interruptions makes it hard to concentrate. I was able to finish a wedding dress that was picked up this morning.  I also worked on a difficult mother of the bride dress.  I then ripped into a flower girl dress and I had to stop.  It was after 5:30 in the afternoon and my back was screaming.

Today I will finish the flower girl dress and also finish another. Many, many pairs of pants have come into the shop to hem and more dresses.  So, the lull we had is over for a while.  This will make Sissie happy.

I think she thought I was out of work. SUPRISE!!! Sissie is gone today taking a neighbor somewhere.

 She is going to be surprised tomorrow.

I am off to create a mess in the shop, and I am going to love it.

God is good

Kim

Monday, Back to business

 Remember that sweet little baby/ Here she is now at the age of 6. If any of us sat like this, we would never get up again! Kelsa was with me this last weekend. We bought Halloween jammies and just had a good time.

The Sissie's and I had a wonderful trip. Lil sis is still suffering and needs an injection in her neck. She was in a bad car accident when she was younger and really suffers with back problems. I feel so bad for her. But we still had a lot of laughs.

My Aunt Anne, (the one that would come and stay with me in the winter) was diagnosed with terminal cancer. So, prayers are needed for her comfort. She will be 92 and has had a long and wonderful life.

Since I was a lazy daisy last week, I really have to get to work the next couple of days. I have 4 dresses that need major alterations that are due out tomorrow. See what happens when Kim takes off and doesn't pay attention?

Anyway, I will be busy and I need to be. 

We went to Signe's last night for soup and also carved pumpkins. Gaylord and I both carved a pumpkin.  It was fun. I left mine up for the kids as I will be up there for Halloween, Gaylord put his on his porch to welcome the trick or treaters.

I am not feeling my best today, but in spite of it I have to work.  I would just love to curl up on the couch with a blanket.

That is not going to happen!

Lucy is growing and changing, but she is such a little squish. We all fight over holding her.

God is good

Kim

Monday, Slow and happy!

 Signe' turns 39 today! I cannot believe that she is that old.  What does that make me? In any case the kids are coming for chicken dinner this evening. So, I am having to do a little housework.

I am roasting two chickens, and we are having mashed potatoes a vegetable and homemade rolls.  Plus, both the younger girls love pumpkin pie for their birthday dinner.

Gaylord is down with something wrong with his stomach.  Not sure what it is but he is miserable. I feel bad for him.

I am down to very little work in the shop. 

Kay and I and Lil Sis are all going to Missoula Wednesday morning.  We are going to see our last surviving Aunt. We will also see a few girlfriends and then do a little shopping. We will then come home on Friday. 

So, a short little girl's trip. 

We are having beautiful fall weather, but it is a little cooler and my dog Roscoe loves the cooler weather. He will sit outside for hours.  In the winter he will lay outside in the snow.  I feel sorry for him in the hot summer.  He then lives on the tile floor in the bathroom over the air conditioning vents. But I love to see him outside just resting in the sun with the cooler weather.  He is so content. Whenever I leave, he always wants to go with me, but I cannot take him when it is hot as I cannot leave him in the car. But now he does not want to go.  He wants to sit outside just enjoying being an old dog. Someday I will want to sit outside, when I become an old dog.

I need to empty the dishwasher as it is full of quart canning jars I washed a month ago.  I rarely use the dishwasher, but I will tonight with having a crowd of dishes. I have to put the chickens in at about 3:00 and start my roll dough.

Joel's nephew Stillman came over last night to help with my garbage disposal, and it was a simple fix. And he also replaced some hinges on a bathroom cupboard.  I have a light on the back porch that is broken and he took a picture so he can replace that later.  He is such a blessing. It was nice to see his wife and two boys. When they went to go home, they discovered that the front wheel on their truck was flat. So that was an adventure.  But I have an air compressor, and I took his wife and boys home to check on dinner, and he proceeded to change the tire as the flat one would not hold air. See, no good deed(s) goes unpunished.

Anyway, I am cooking today and doing a little sewing.

God is good.

Kim

Wednesday. Where have I been?

 Actually, doing nothing.  But I do it so well. Now I have three things I must get done today because I have been doing nothing!!!!!!!

Remember I work better under pressure.

I did get all the tomatoes picked from the garden.  Still need to pull the cabbages.  But I will leave the carrots.

Made a nice dinner Sunday evening for Gaylord and enjoyed the company.

Then I have been just taking it easy.  I did have both Kelsa and Oliver for the weekend and that included trips to the park, the McDonalds play place and running through grandma's house laughing and hooting. Those two laugh and laugh. They have so much fun together.  They painted and colored and made a general mess.  They built forts and had a slumber party on the ground but always ended up in my bed before morning. It was general chaos, which I loved. 

Sissie and I went to Albertsons this morning for loss leaders. Each got a chicken for .99 a lb. I also bought a beef roast on sale and some shrimp. Sissie's freezer is full, so she is using mine for back up. 

I need to get busy and get some sewing done.  The shop is practically empty which is so nice. I gives me time to do other things. And sometimes the other thing is just nothing. 

I still have to pull and put away the garden and do general clean up around the chicken coop and the chicken coop itself.  It will soon be time to run a heat lamp down to the coop and a heated water dish. I will also have to put a heater in the green house, I want to attach it to a thermostat, so I have to figure that out. I just want to keep it above freezing at night. I do believe it will stay above during the day.

Have any of you put your garden to bed?

God is good

Kim

Thursday, Just do the dang thing

 I am definably working on a project like this today! It is a men's suit I took the sleaves out of, so I could adjust the shoulders, only to find out I did not have to, and I screwed up.  Now I have to put it back together and it is very hard.  I need to just do it... I mean I am sure if I set a timer I could have it done (at least the hard part in less than an hour) but I have to procrastinate and make it much bigger than it is first. I have to torture myself for a few days or months or years.....

This house needs a really good vacuum, which I have out waiting until I have done my sewing for the day. 

Kelsa is here today; she is under the weather. Although I see no signs, I also have to pick up her kitten at the vet at 4:15 as the kitten was fixed today and Signe' is running with scissors. Grandma to the rescue. 

So today I need to press a dress and call the client and then get this suit done.  That is it! If only I will just do it.  The hard part is the doing it.

Gaylord is coming tonight and we are going out to dinner.  I have Kelsa all weekend, so that will ruin us having fun.  I have spent the last two weekends going out with him and have not had Kelsa and that is causing some problems for both her and her mom. How dare Grandma get distracted.

Hope you guys have a great weekend.  I will report. Having a 6 year old control the weekend may just do this grandma.

God is good

Kim

Wednesday, Today I will do it! Slug news

 Do you ever have days like this? Where anxiety takes over? I do, but I still try and get something done.

Was not very successful with the list yesterday, but in my defense the hunting bibs were time consuming and then the tux coat had to be done by hand.  When I got to the dress, a bride came to pick up.  It was my last Bridal dress for the season!!!!!

She had a large bosom and needed the spaghetti straps removed and larger straps put on.  This had to be done while she waited. We had difficulty making the straps lay the way I wanted so it took time and by the time she was done, and I was satisfied it was late in the afternoon. So, the list will continue on today! That is okay you just have to roll in this job most days.

I still have 4 wedding dresses in here, but they are for later in the month and just came in and one for November and one for December. I will not count those as my wedding season. It was nice to see the last one go.

For those of you asking about our Sluggy.  She is doing somewhat better.  As in she started asking for food, and they had taken her off most medication and had removed her feeding tube.  The 8 solid months of vomiting has abated, and she is able to eat small amount without getting sick. So even though she is still on hospice she has been moved to a lower medical demanding area.  But we are still a long, long way from better. All prayers are needed. But I am telling you she weighs about what I weigh and is a fraction of herself. Although she has consistently lost weight over the last three years, she is now on the thin side. Of course, not being able to keep down solid food for 8 months will do that to you.  Her sense of humor has returned and that is a joy to behold.

So today I will continue to work on the list from yesterday. Life goes on at Kim's house.

The weather is supposed to turn on Saturday, so we will see.  It is still getting quite hot here in the afternoon.

God is good

Kim

Tuesday, Kim needs a list!

 So, because of all 3 of these I will have to work today. What a bummer. The shop is full and I have so much to do.  It has already been busy today and it is not even noon. 

I did get a lot of outdoor work done yesterday and that was nice, but indoor work suffered, as I did not do any.  Sissie says I am slacking and I have to admit I am. But it is sure fun!

So today I will make a list, hoping this will inspire me to get things done. It has helped in the past. I have a pair of hunting bibs that need new zippers on both legs.  I ripped the zippers earlier and then ran to Hobby Lobby to get new ones.  These have to be done today.

So today: 

1. Zippers in hunting bibs

2. shorten sleeves on a dress coat

3. put a godet in a dress

4. shorten a dress

5. make adjustment on a bridesmaid dress and press

6. possibly hem some pants

That is enough as some of these thigs are rather long and involved projects.

Sissie does so much of the easy work, and the things I do are just more involved. But I so appreciate her, as she makes my life so much easier.  In fact, too much easier and I am not running around like a chicken with my head cut off. This has made me somewhat lax in getting my work done.  I think I have worked under so much pressure for so long that when the pressure is not on, I just do nothing.  But I tell myself I do nothing so well. When one has a skill one should use it, right?

Anyway, I am going to get something done today.  Sissie will yell at me if I don't.  She is such a task master. I think she forgets who owns this business.

I am off, and not just a little...

God is good

Kim

Monday, An outdoor list!

 This would be me! I am the problem. 

I had a nice weekend.  Gaylord and I went to an art fair in downtown Lewiston and then took a long walk on the levy. I made a nice, tossed salad and sone leek and potato soup for dinner. Then we had Norwegian butter cookies for dessert.

I had made a double batch of these cookies cut into fall shapes. I visited three elderly women in our church on Friday and took cookies.  The husbands were really appreciative. Butter cookies melt in your mouth and are a little addictive.

Sissie just took the rest of my soup home to feed her and Dan for dinner. I don't worry about cooking too much as one of us usually eats whatever is left over.

I am a little queasy today and I hope it passes. My goals for today after a little shop work are to get outside and do some work in the garden. I need to pick all the tomatoes before next weekend as we are supposed to have a hard frost. I plan on pulling almost everything in the garden beds and getting them ready for winter.  Will probably leave some of the carrots. But will clean out the chicken coop and put all the manure on top of the beds and then till is in for next year.  I should be able to freeze at least 4 gallons of tomatoes. If I get to many I will can later.

I paid bills, and I only have 2 bills that are not drawn out of checking. Then I transferred money to savings. I actually make more than I spend and that is such a weird feeling for me.  Those of you who have read me for years, know just how hard I worked to become debt free and solvent. I still have my frugal ways, but I am trying to relax a little. I still just can't get over worrying every time I spend any money. Just being able to use a debit card and not have to check every time to make sure I have enough money is so crazy to me.

I had the yard fertilized on Friday and the water was also turned off on Friday, so I have to go out and soak the yard by hand. I got used to doing that this summer.

Have any of you put your gardens to bed yet?

God is good

Kim